It’s pretty much a given that Greece has always been a top favorite on everyone’s bucket list. It’s also a given that traveling to Greece on a budget is near impossible.
Or is it?
Think Greece and it’ll be hard not to imagine sprawling white-washed villages colored by orange sunset hues, beautiful shops cascading down hillsides, and turquoise waters glimmering unto white sand beaches.
A country that boasts a staggering 6000 islands, it’s hard to resist the urge of visiting this Mediterranean dream with its mesmerizing joie de vivre, Ancient ruins that date back thousands of years ago and dreamy cerulean waters.
However, while Greece is famous is famous for crisp beaches, post-card perfect villages and delicious food, it’s still one of the most budget destinations you can visit in Europe.
So it only makes sense that it should not seem like an unattainable mirage.
I am quite the budget traveler myself – I like to go places where my money goes a long way and I am not overrun by one expensive choice after the other.
Do you want to travel all around Europe with half the money? Hit me up.
Italy?
Facile.
Spain?
Muy facil.
Berlin? einfach.
Norway? Nope. Sorry.
So here I am, making your life a little bit better by letting you know that you can visit the birthplace of Greek legends on a string shoe budget. As long as you’re not planning an upscale vacation, nothing is easier than traveling to Greece on a budget.
I created this guide to show you that this “high-end” destination can easily be experienced if you follow those budget-friendly tips.
When to travel
Be as flexible as you possibly can with your travel dates
Weekends are expensive, national holidays are expensive, the tourist season is expensive, festivals are expensive…..You get the whole point. The more flexible you are with your travel dates, the easier you’ll be able to score deals, discounts and low airfare and hotel rates.
Visit off-season to save on flights and accommodations
Greece is very expensive from June to August. Expect the price of everything from food, accommodation, ferry tickets, and flights to increase by 30-50%.
I recommend traveling during shoulder season when the weather is still really good but you don’t get to deal with the insane tourist crowds and exorbitant prices of the summer. Shoulder season is April, May, September, and October.
Accommodation
Since Greece is one of those incredibly popular tourist destinations, it makes sense that most hotels are quite expensive. That is even truer if you’re planning on traveling during the summer months.
Luckily for you, due to the country’s current economic situation, it’s very easy to stay frugal and be able to get a bargain when it comes to accommodation.
As mentioned above, traveling off-peak seasons is a surefire way to save up to 50% on room prices. But let’s say you have no other time but to travel during the summer.
What do you do?
Easy.
Stay in the bigger more popular cities
Most people think that accommodation prices become lower if they stay in lesser-known cities. That can’t be further away from the truth. If you’re traveling to Greece on a budget, I recommend staying in more frequently visited larger cities like Athens or Thessaloniki, for example. This is where you’ll find the cheapest accommodation:
- A bed in a dorm room can be as cheap as $10 per night.
- If you’re traveling with a friend or your partner, you can find hotels and guesthouses for as little as $20.
- This is because bigger cities = more people = more competition = lower prices for you.
Skip hostels & hotels and go straight for Airbnbs if you’re traveling in a group. (mid-budget)
Airbnb has plenty of safe accommodation options and if you’re a group, you can easily pay as little as $20 per night for a really nice apartment. You can also do it solo and stay in a shared room.
As a solo traveler, the rule of thumb is: prices are at their lowest in hostels, then Airbnbs then hotels.
Pro-tip: Try and stay for a week or longer to get up to 20% discounts.
Always opt for hostels if you’re traveling solo
Hostels are growing like wildfire. And I mean to say that in the nicest way possible.
I am the biggest advocate for hostels for the obvious reasons: you can get a bed for as cheap as $10 per night, you meet people from all over the world, and you never get to feel lonely.
I always like to choose hostels that have a bit more fun activities going around too.
Some of the nice hostels for when you’re traveling to Greece on a budget include:
- Athens Backpackers – Athens
- Acropolis View Dreams – Athens
- Fira Backpackers Palace – Santorini
- Meteora Central Hostel – Meteora
- Caveland – Santorini
- Francesco’s – Ios Island
- Mycocoon Hostel – Mykonos
- Hostel Plakias – Crete
- The Pink Palace – Corfu
- Stay Hostel – Rhodes
Try Couchsurfing to completely eliminate the cost of accommodation
Accommodation (no matter how cheap it is) can really take a toll on your budget. I mean, what if you want to spend that extra $200 on visiting more islands in Greece?
That’s where Couchsurfing comes in. You’ll be able to stay at locals’ houses completely for free and they’ll be able to guide you to the most local places so you save even more money.
Book an overnight ferry to save on accommodation
If you’re planning on island-hopping (which I highly vouch for), then you will be spending a lot of money on ferries anyway. Why not cut your costs in half by keeping those ferry trips at night and using them as a sort of portable accommodation tool?
Make full use of the overnight ferries and watch yourself save half of your costs at least.
Work at a hostel or volunteer
If you’re looking for another way to get free accommodation, then find a program you could volunteer for that offers room and board in exchange for a few hours of work.
Try House Sitting
House sitting is a wonderful solution that allows you to stay and watch over someone else’s property for free. More details on that here.
There are plenty of meaningful volunteer opportunities out there. If volunteering sounds like too much of a commitment, then you can always offer to work at a hostel in exchange for a bed and breakfast.
Travel Insurance
Invest in travel insurance
You can eliminate the cost of accommodation by staying at someone’s house but one thing you can’t be frugal about is travel insurance. While preparing for your trip, make sure you invest in a flexible and affordable travel insurance plan.
This will cover you if your luggage is stolen if you face a medical emergency and much more. Trust me: a small fee now is much better than a hefty one later on.
Get those freebies
Participate in free walking tours
There are plenty of free walking tours that are available to you, especially in big cities like Athens and Thessaloniki.
All you history buffs out there will specifically love those tours. In Athens, you can easily score a free walking tour that’ll take you around the Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Monastiraki, and Syntagma Square.
Note down free admission days
The Acropolis and its museum are free on March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September, October 28, and all first Sundays from Nov 1 – March 31.
Enjoy the top free things to do in Athens.
- Climb the mythical Mount Olympus.
- Take a stroll in the National Garden.
- Climb up to Folpappou Hill for panoramic vistas.
- Walk around Plaka.
- Watch the Changing of the Guards.
- Enjoy the street art.
- Visit Hadrian’s Arch.
- Explore the Athens Central Market.
- Spend a few hours at the Monastiraki Flea Market.
Be in Athens during its free festivals
There are a few local festivals in Athens that are completely free. You can plan your trip around them and save yourself the cost of entertainment. Check out the Athens Film Festival, the Apokries Greek Carnival in February and the August Moon Festival.
Food and Drink
It’s hard not to be lured in with the thousands of top-notch restaurants in Greece. But if you’re traveling to Greece on a budget, then you kind of need to learn some self-control there!
Choose regional plates
Wherever you go, make sure you choose meat and regional plates over other foods. This is guaranteed to give you a high quality, low-cost dish.
Don’t buy wine in shops or restaurants
Wine is not pricey at all in Greece. It’s all about learning where to get your wine from. Instead of ordering wine by the bottle, opt for apo to bareli (from the barrel).
This is wine that is usually served by the liter/half a liter in huge jugs and will save you a lot of money.
Keep your eyes out on these foods
- Gyros: I think I’ve lost count of the number of gyros I’ve had in Greece. It’s a pita wrap with either chicken, meat or pork along with tomatoes, fries (yes) or onions. Or all. And the cost? No more than EUR2.5.
- Souvlaki: I’m pretty sure I haven’t met one tourist in Greece so far who didn’t fall in love with souvlakis.
Avoid seaside areas.
If you’re hungry and you decide to eat out, avoid all seaside restaurants or the ones by the main tourist strip.
Choose local tavernas
Meals at local tavernas can start from $6 per person.
If you’re planning on dining out, I just want you to know that the locals dine as late as 10 pm.
Atlantikos is an incredible fish tavern with fish sandwiches that start at EUR4.
Scan the restaurant before you go in
Before choosing a restaurant, give it a little quick scan. If you see more tourists than locals, leave.
If you want to save even more, grocery shop.
Do it like the locals: grocery shop and cook your own dinners. This works perfectly if you’re staying at an Airbnb or a hostel with a kitchen.
Buy from local markets
You can find everything you need at local markets for ¼ of the price you’d get anywhere else. For example, a EUR2 bottle of water would cost you EUR0.40 at a local market. You can always visit you’re a laiki for delicious seasonal produce. Some of my favorites include:
- Friday market on Matrozou Street in Koukaki.
- Saturday market on Kallidromious Street in Exarchia.
Transportation
Choose the older ferries
Blue Star and Anek are much cheaper than the new high-speed boats. Yes, they take more time to get to your destination (hence why I recommend the overnight ones) but they save you a lot of money.
For example, a direct one-way ticket from Athens to Mykonos costs EUR29 on Blue Star Ferries and EUR44 on a speedboat.
Book ferries in advance
If you book your ferries in advance, you can earn a discount of 20%.
Take a flight between islands
I know this usually goes against every budget travel guide out there but flights between the main islands and cities of Greece are much cheaper than ferries and buses.
Use a moped to get around
If you want to explore the most of a Greek island in one day, I recommend renting a moped (about EUR14 per day). You’ll get to explore those picturesque islands using your own pace, and they’re much cheaper than rental cars.
A major bonus is the fact that you don’t have to worry about parking, and navigating around narrow alleyways and streets.
Locals.
Hang out with the locals
My biggest budget tip for when you’re traveling to a new place is always: hang out with the locals.
They know where the cheapest food is, where to go out, how to avoid tourist traps and how to show you the best of the city without breaking the bank.
Ask locals using the translation of the word “cheap”
If you make it a point to include the word “cheap” in your question, someone is bound to give you a nifty tip. The word for cheap is “fitnós”.
Activities
Get a joint ticket for the Acropolis + other sights
You can get a joint ticket that’ll grant you access to the Acropolis and ten other sights for EUR12.
Head to Syntagma Square for free entertainment
Syntagma Square in the evenings is a myriad of things all happening at the same time, an overwhelming sensory experience and, well, lots of fun. Buy a beer from one of the nearby kiosks and watch the street performers in the square for the night.
Misc
Don’t pay for WiFi and don’t get a SIM card at the airport
Don’t pay for Wifi, don’t pay for roaming charges and definitely don’t purchase a EUR16 sim card at the airport. Instead, opt for a Wind sim card for EUR5-10.
Split costs
I highly recommend traveling with someone else so you can split most of your costs. That will include food, accommodation, and transportation.
Make money on the go
If you’re looking to backpack for a bit longer than a week or two, then sign up for a TEFL opportunity. This allows you to teach English as a second language (or whatever your native language is) and make money on the go. You’ll find that you’re quickly having a trip that is paying for itself.
Venture off the beaten path
Yes, Mykonos is great. Athens is incredible. Santorini is even better. However, if you’re planning on traveling to Greece on a budget, choose lesser-known places like Corfu and Milos. They don’t charge exorbitantly like the other islands and they’re not constantly teeming with hoards of tourists.
- Tinos – Small, rural and with a lot of personality. This island is known for its gorgeous hill-side restaurants and quaint villages.
- Lefkada – Lefkada is perfect if you’re looking for pretty beaches that are also free.
- Ios – perfect place if you’re looking for cheap hostels, cheap student discounts, and a young crowd.
Pick only one group of islands
Don’t try to cram too many islands into one itinerary. Choose islands that are close to each other and backpack around them as opposed to choosing islands that you’ll have to spend a lot of time, money and effort to get between. The Cyclades are the most popular group of islands, followed by the Ionian Islands.
What your daily average budget will look like:
| Broke Backpacker |
Less Broke Backpacker | Mid-range Budget | Upper mid-range budget |
Semi- luxurious travelers |
|
| Accommodation | 0 – 10 (Couchsurfing to hostels) | 10 – 15 | 15 – 20 | 25 – 30 | 40 – 50 |
| Food | 7 – 10 (street-food and grocery shopping) | 7 – 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 – 30 |
| Beer and Water | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Activities | 10 | 10 | 20 | 30 | |
| Total | 25 EUR | 35 EUR | 45 | 85 | 110 |
All those dreamy qualities that are solely unique to Greece are just around the corner. You could watch Santorinis’ gorgeous sunsets, revel by the beautiful beaches of Mykonos and fall in love with the ancient ruins in Athens and enjoy the array of things to do for less than what you’d expect to pay. Trust me when I say: a pretty incredible trip to Greece is very within reach even with the lowest of budgets.
